Bo's Secret Crush
by HMFarmForever
Summary: Bo and Luke meet the new farmer girl. Bo gets a huge crush on her. But it doesn't lead to the best. Continued in, "My Dad's Best Friend"
1. Chapter 1: They Meet

Chapter 1: They Meet

"How much ya wanna bet that I can chop this huge stump in one swing?" Luke asked playfully.

"I dunno…" I said dully. Luke was a big show off. Even though Luke and I did nearly everything together, Luke still had to show off his strength to me.

"Watch out kid! This is man's work!" Luke said as he raised his hoe above his head.

I sighed and drooped myself over the fence post I was leaning on.

My head shot up when I heard light footsteps.

I saw a girl, who looked like she was in her early twenties, walking over to us.

"Hello." the girl said shyly.

"Oh- Hey." I said after a moment. "I'm Bo."

"I'm Akari." the girl said.

"You a tourist?" I asked, trying to act casual.

"No. I came here in response to the Mayor's Brochure. I'm gonna run a farm." she said cheerfully.

"Cool." I said.

"HIYAAAAH!!!" Luke yelled from behind as he chopped the big stump into pieces.

"Ha told ya I could do it Bo!" Luke yelled.

"That big show off with the axe is Luke." I whispered.

"Now I need to name this move… Quadra Chop? Nah… Ultra Mega Splinter? No… No… Not quite… Hmmm…" Luke pondered.

"Yo! Earth to Luke!" I said playfully. "Come in Luke!"

"Wha-? Oh hey!" Luke said with a large grin. "I'm Luke!"

Akari laughed and then said, "I'm Akari. I came here to start a farm."

"Really? Ya think your tough enough? Ya look kinda scrawny to me." Luke teased.

"Cut it out Luke." I said.

Luke stuck his tongue out at me. Then he asked, "So where's your farm?"

"In the Chestnut Valley, by Waffle town." Akari answered.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"About 4 days. I stayed at the Sundae Inn for a while; then I went and helped out at the Brownie Farm." Akari answered.

Luke, who had been deep in thought for a while, said "Hey, Ya want my old axe? It's real special or nothing, but it should help you out for now."

Luke handed Akari his old axe, I was surprised he gave it up so easily.

That was his very first axe; his dad had given it to him and trained him with it. And Luke had trained me with it.

"Thanks!" Akari said happily.

"No biggie." Luke said, putting his hands behind his head.

Akari walked away, pleased with her gift.

"Good luck on your farm!" I yelled to her.

"Come and get us if ya need anything." Luke yelled.

"Thank you! And I will!" she yelled as she waved.

After she turned the corner, Luke turned to me and asked, "She's a cutie huh?"

"Yeah…" I said dreamily. Luke had no idea.


	2. Chapter 2: A PartTime Job

Chapter 2: A Part-Time Job

"Morning!" Akari said cheerfully as she walked through the door.

"Yo Akari!" Luke said waving. "How's your farm?"

"Same as always…" she said glumly. "Craig said he's never seen crops grow so slow! And my yard is weed less! Maybe I'm just not cut out for farming…"

"Ahhh, don't feel bad! Farming isn't just growing crops! It's raising animals, and stuff…" Luke said, trying to cheer her up.

She sighed, "I guess your right…"

"Hey, if you need money, I'm sure Dale will let you work here part-time." I suggested.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Sure! I could defiantly use an extra hand around here." Dale said looking up from the rocking chair he was building.

"Bo! Show her how to organize the wood bin!" Dale said to me.

"_Yes! I get time alone with her!" _I thought to myself.

"Yes sir!" I said cheerfully.

I brought her over to where we kept all the different kinds of wood.

"They all look the same…" shesaid glumly.

"Not really. If you look closely, you can tell the difference." I explained.

I picked up a piece of oak wood.

"Tell me what this one looks like." I said holding it up.

"Umm… It's kind of a sandy brown…" she stuttered.

"Good." I told her. Then I picked up a piece of pine wood.

"What kind of wood is this?" I asked.

"Oak?" she said scratching her head.

"No. You were close though. It's pine. See how it's just a shade or two darker than this one?" I asked holding them both up.

She looked at them for a second, then said, "Yeah! I do see a difference!"

"Great!" I said happily.

I put the piece of pine wood down and picked up a piece of maple wood.

"Do you see how this one is a little whiter than the other two?" I asked.

"Yes! Yes I do!" she said excitedly. "Bo you did it! You taught me how to tell different types of wood apart!"

She gave me a big hug. I felt my heart skip a beat.

"Thank you so much!" she said.

She went over to the woodbin and began separating the wood.

I sat there perfectly still, my heart beating slowly.

"BO!" Dale called. "Get in here! I think Akari can take it from here."

"Coming!" I said after a moment.

I ran inside and began helping Luke with the table he was building.

"Did ya enjoy yourself?" Luke teased.

"What do you mean? I asked as I finished making one of the table's legs.

"Your 'alone' time with you-know-who." Luke teased.

"Shut-up." I said angrily.

"Hey! I'm done with the wood bin!" Akari said.

"Great! I'll come and look at what you've done." Dale said.

"Okay." she said, sitting down on a stool.

Dale walked to the door.

He turned around and said, "Show her how to work the front desk, Bo. I have a few errands to run."

"Yes sir." I said.

Luke smiled at me teasingly.

I glared at him then went over to the front counter.

"This is how you open the cash register." I said pressing the button on the side of cash register. The cash register chimed when it opened.

I showed her all of different buttons and what they did. Once I had finished, a customer walked through the door.

She seemed to have it under control, so I went back to work on the table.

Luke gave me another teasing smile.

I stuck my tongue out at him and went back to work.

Dale came back around six, he looked around and smiled.

"You all did a good job today!" Dale said happily. "Here's your pay for the day Akari, 200G."

"Thanks Dale!" Akari said taking her pay.

"Thanks again Bo." she said before she left.

"You've done enough for today boys. You can go get something to eat in town. I have important business to take care of." Dale said going towards his room.

"Yes sir." we both said.

Once we had gotten out the door, Luke caught me in a headlock.

"Stop it Luke!" I yelled, trying to pull myself free.

"Aw! Lighten up kid!" he said, not lightening up on his grip.

He gave me a nuggy and let go when I said, "Uncle!"

"Come on kid. Let's go to the Inn." he said.

"Hopefully… _she_ won't be there…" I mumbled under my breath.


	3. Chapter 3:A Night on the Town

Chapter 3: Night on the Town

"Yo Chase! What's up?" Luke yelled as he waved to a blonde boy with a tray in his hands.

"Hey Luke! Hey Bo! You need something?" Chase said happily.

"Food! What do you suggest?" Luke said sitting down at the closest table.

"How does Boiled Spinach and Mushroom Rice sound?" Chase asked.

"Sounds Great!" I said, throwing my arms over my head.

Chase laughed than said, "I'll go make some then!"

"So…" Luke said, folding his hands.

"What?" I asked.

Luke laughed at me then said, "Looks like some one has a little crush on someone…"

I felt my face get red. He was talking about Akari.

"M-maybe I do… What does it matter? Like you said, I'm still a kid." I said covering my face.

"I guess it doesn't matter much…" Luke said leaning back.

"Here's your food guys!" Chase said.

He put Luke's Boiled Spinach and my Mushroom Rice down on the table, and then sat down with us.

"Enjoy!" he said.

"Thanks Chase." I said, Luke was already half way done by then.

"It's delicious!" Luke exclaimed with a mouthful of chewed up spinach.

"Thanks!" Chase said smiling. "I just wish we could get some more business around here…" Chase sighed.

"Chase!" Yolanda cried out from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Chase said, jumping up from his seat. "See ya later, guys!"

I sighed with relief; it was nearly nine, and no sign of Aka-.

"Hey Luke! Hey Bo!" Akari said as she walked through the door.

I slammed my head on the table, then managed out a weak, "Hey…"

"Is he alright?" Akari asked Luke in a concerned voice.

"Yeah, he's fine. Just tired." Luke said punching my arm playfully.

"L-Luke, can I talk to you for a sec?" Akari stuttered.

"Sure thing!" Luke said happily.

"Be right back Romeo." he teased quietly.

Luke went outside to talk with Akari and Chase came out of the kitchen.

He looked at me for a sec. "You okay Bo?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" I said, resting my chin on the table.

"Where did Luke run off to?" he asked looking around.

I was hoping he wouldn't ask. "Outside talking to Akari I think…" I said, trying to sound like I didn't care.

"Okay." Chase said smiling as he picked out empty dishes up and went back into the kitchen.

I heard Luke's voice outside, I wasn't trying to, but I over heard part of their conversation.

"Do we have a deal?" I heard Luke ask.

"Sure. It's a deal." Akari answered.

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow then." Luke said happily.

"See you then." she said.

Luke walked in and looked at me and said, "Come on kid. We better get home, it's getting late."

We walked home in silence.

What had they been talking about?


	4. Chapter 4: Surprises

Chapter 4: Surprises

"Luke, you awake?" I called from my bed.

I live with Luke and Dale because I left my home long ago so I could be Dale's apprentice. Luke and I share a room. It has two twin sized beds, one dresser, and a small lamp on an in table. Luke's always been like my older brother.

"I am now…" Luke groaned. "What's wrong?"

"Can't sleep…" I said looking up at the roof.

"Got something on your mind?" Luke asked rubbing his eyes.

"Uhh… Well…" I began.

"_Should I ask him?"_ I thought.

"Hm?" Luke asked yawning.

"Your so lucky…" I finally said.

"And why is that?" Luke asked still half asleep.

"Because Akari likes you…" I said turning away so Luke couldn't look at me.

"WHAT?!?!" Luke exclaimed, awake at once.

"You mean… You don't see it?" I asked turning to look at him.

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked sitting up.

"Idiot! She blushes bright red when she sees you! She can barley even talk when she sees you! She sounds like a broken record!" I exclaimed, sitting up in my bed.

Luke laughed to himself and laid back down.

"Guess I just have that affect on women." he teased.

I rolled my eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Before I knew it, Luke was shaking me.

"Come on Sleeping Beauty! Rise and Shine!" Luke yelled.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes.

"What time is it?" I asked with a yawn.

"Six-Thirty." Luke said happily.

To most people, that's early. But for me in Luke, THAT is sleeping in!

"Oh no!" I exclaimed, jumping out of bed.

"Is your dad up yet?" I asked while putting my pants on.

"Nope. He ain't feeling so hot. Said the shop would be closed today." Luke said.

"Oh… " I said as I pulled my shirt over my head.

I tied my white bandanna around my head.

"He left a list of chores for us to do." Luke said.

"Let's get started then." I said after checking myself over.

After Luke and I had a quick breakfast, we headed over to the forest to start on our chores.

"I'll get all the big stumps and you can get the branches and sticks, kid." Luke said teasingly.

"Sure thing Luke…" I said rolling my eyes. Like I said before, Luke is a BIG showoff…

After a few hours of chopping, Luke said, "I think that's all we need…"

He checked the list.

"Oops! Looks like we got MORE than enough! Oh well! Less work later!" he said happily.

"Let's go grab a bite to eat, then we can go check on the old man." Luke said happily.

"Okay." I said. I was hoping that we wouldn't run into Akari again…

Luke had that same happy-go-lucky look on his face. If he were planning anything secretly, his eyes would tell.

"So what do you think?" I asked, trying to break the silence.

"About what?" he asked, looking completely clueless.

"About what we were talking about last night." I said, did he remember?

Luke thought hard for a moment.

"Uh… I remember it was something about me being good with the women…" he said happily.

"Close…" I said rolling my eyes. "Very close…"

"We were talking about Akari's crush on you…" I said annoyingly.

"Oh…yeah…I knew that…" Luke said scratching his head.

I rolled my eyes again. If I was to break any world record, it be rolling my eyes the most.

"Well… Let's drop it…" Luke said after a while. "It's a bright sunny day! Why waste it with talking?"

"Hang on there Tarzan." I said grabbing the back of Luke's shirt, he had that "Run Around the World in Ten Seconds" looking his eyes again.

"Let's get a bite to eat first." I said.

"Fine…but then we're gonna have fun! How does swimming in the ice cold river sound?" he asked excitedly.

I laughed. "Sounds great!" I exclaimed.

We raced to the Sundae Inn, Luke won, but only because he tackled me.

Chase gave us Boiled Spinach and Mushroom Rice again. Luke paid him for last night's meal and today's.

"Wanna race to Carmel River?" Luke asked me excitedly.

"Sure. But shouldn't we check on your dad first?" I asked.

"Fine! Fine! Let's go check on the old geezer… But then we're going to Carmel River." he exclaimed.

I laughed to myself. Luke was such a kid.

Dale was fine. He was already back in bed when we got there.

The moment we got outside, Luke turned to me with the "Run Around The World" look and said, "Race ya!"

He beat me there, again, this time because he gave himself a head start. He had started running at "2…" instead of "Go!!!"

When we got there, Luke and I kicked off our shirts, socks and shoes, then dived in headfirst. And it was cold!

After a few hours, the sun had began to set, And Luke said we should get going.

We grabbed a bite at the Sundae Inn again, and then headed home.

When we got there, Akari was sitting on the front steps.

"Yo Akari! What's up?" Luke yelled happily waving.

I felt my face get red.

"Oh!" she said looking up. "Hey guys!"

"Sorry we're closed today." Luke said scratching his head.

"Oh it's okay. I just needed to ask Bo something." she said after a moment.

"_ME?!?!"_ I thought. _"What does she need with me?"_

I thought for a moment.

Did it have something to do with what they had been talking about yesterday?

I waited as she came over to me.


	5. Chapter 5: The Letter

Chapter 5: The Letter

I waited as she walked towards me.

"Bo…um…" she began. She stared up at the sky as if the words she was trying to say were written up there.

She handed me a letter. "Don't open it until Luke tells you to." She commanded.

She whispered something in Luke's ear and then left.

"Come on, kid. You gotta big day tomorrow!" Luke said as he slapped me on the back.

Before I could ask what he meant, he ran into his house.

"Luke!" I yelled. He had locked the door.

"Oh well…" I slyly. "I guess I'll just open this letter from Akari. Since Luke isn't around to stop me."

Before I had even finished saying, "stop me" Luke had me in the house.

"I'll just hold on to this until it's time." Luke teased as he grabbed the letter out of my hand and waved it in front of my face.

"Luke! Give it back!" I said trying to reach it. I could of normally grabbed it, but Luke was pushing my head down…

"Sorry Cinderella. Your pumpkin carriage isn't here yet!" Luke teased.

I continued straining for it until Luke covered up my mouth and said, "Pipe Down Pipsqueak! My old man's still sleepin'!"

I stopped. No one likes it when Dale is grumpy…

"Don't get your britches is a bunch either! I'll give you the note when it's time!"

"Fine…" I mumbled as I walked to our bedroom.

Luke and I got into some clean, dry clothes and put our wet ones out to dry.

"Get some rest, kid." Luke said as he yawned. "You'll need it!"

"What I need is the letter…" I mumbled.

Luke didn't hear me though, he was already asleep. And he had put the letter in a place I would **never **go; his sock hamper.

"Night Luke." I said dryly. I turned over and went to sleep.

A bright ray of light was in my eyes when I woke up. Luke was still asleep.

I looked at our alarm clock, and said, "Luke it's 6AM… Wake up…"

He didn't budge.

I got a sly smile on my face. "I think I'll go read that letter Akari gave me, since Luke's too lazy to get his fat butt outta bed." I said as I walked over to his sock hamper.

Luke shot outta bed like a bolt of lightning. Before I knew it, he had me pinned on the ground.

"Nice try Romeo!" Luke said.

"_Man… This letter must be important!"_ I thought to myself as I tried to get unpinned.

"Luke! Bo! Stop playing around and get ready for work!" I heard Dale call from his room.

We both jumped up at the same time. "Yes sir." we chimed.

Luke and I got dressed quickly and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

" What were you two clowns doing up there?" Dale asked, looking up from his morning paper.

"Nothin' Pop." Luke said happily as he filled his plate with pancakes. "Just being boys!"

Dale shook his head and laughed. Luke could get anyone to laugh, no matter how mad they were.

Once we finished eating, Dale said, "I got a big order from that farmer girl… a… what's-her-name… I need you boys to go get me some more wood."

"Yes sir." I said as I put my dishes and Luke's in the sink.

"Sure thing Pop!" Luke said happily, as he jumped up from his chair.

"Yo half-pint! Go on to the forest without me, I gotta grab somethin'. See ya there!" Luke said to me when we got outside.

I shrugged and said, "See ya then."

He ran back inside and I slowly walked to the forest.

Because Luke's so crazy and headstrong, I don't get to just walk every once and a while.

When I finally reached the forest, Luke jumped on my back and yelled, "SURPRISE!!!"

I flipped over on my back and looked up to see Luke laughing like a hyena.

I dusted myself off. "What's so funny hot-head?" I asked dryly.

"Don't be like that Bo! I was just teasin'." Luke said once he finally managed to stop laughing.

"Whatever." I teased. "Just help me up."

Luke helped me up off the ground and we got to work.

When the sun started to set, Luke turned around and said, "I think it's about time."

"About time for what?" I asked, looking up from the stump I was trying to chop.

"Time for this." Luke said as he pulled the letter Akari had given me out of his back pocket.

"She said to give it to you today. But I felt like waiting until sun-set." he said when I took the letter.

I opened it up and began to read. I could hardly believe what it said.


	6. Chapter 6: A Night of First

Chapter 6: A Night of First

It read:

_Dear Bo,_

_Wow… This is awkwerd huh? Well… Luke told me about your crush on me. So I thought… maybe… We could go out for dinner tonight… That is… If it is okay with you… Man… I can't understand why I couldn't say this to you. I had this letter written in advance, you know, just incase… Well… Anyways… See you at seven!_

_Sincerely,_

Akari

I read it over a couple more times to make sure I read it right. **She** was asking **me** on a date? Wow…

Suddenly it hit me.

"Luke! You idiot! It's 6:30! This letter says she's gonna meet me in 30 minutes!!!" I exclaimed.

"Oh well! Clumsy me!" Luke teased. "You better go get ready hot-shot!"

I started running for Luke's house.

When I got there, Dale asked what I was doing. I handed him the letter and went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

Once I was done with my shower, it was 6:40.

I dressed in the nicest clothes I had, this was my first 'date'.

When I was done getting dressed, I looked at my hair; looked good enough for me!

When I was done with that, Luke swung it the door and said, "Yo! Prince Charming! Cinderella's here!"

I went to the front door to see Akari, but stopped in my tracks when I saw her.

She was wearing a knee-high, spaghetti strap, blue dress. She was gorgeous!

Dale's eye's grew big, and Luke's mouth dropped open, I smiled. For once **I** was getting the luck!

"You ready Bo?" Akari asked.

"Y-Yeah! Sure! Let's go!" I stuttered. Man, **I** had chosen the right girl to crush on!

We walked out of the silent room, and outside into the cool, crisp night.

"Well… That was weird…" she finally said. "I've never had men stare at me like that before…"

I wondered for a moment if she realized how beautiful she really was.

"Well… uh… let's get going…" I said after a moment. She smiled and said, "Okay."

We walked in silence to the Sundae Inn.

When we got there, Chase began to stare wide-eyed too.

Akari whispered something in Chase's ear. He smiled and went into the kitchen.

"Bo you okay? You look a little pale." she asked after she sat down.

"Yeah… I'm fine." I said shaking my head. Of coarse I was pale! I was on my first date with the most beautiful girl in the world! I'm surprised I haven't fainted yet…

She fixed my hair and said, "Good." Now I know I'm gonna faint!

I sat there, wondering what I should say. I tried to speak, but I couldn't.

"S-so…" I finally said. "What made you want to come here with me?"

She stared at me for a moment, and then said, "Luke told me about your crush on me, I thought it was… sweet."

"Oh…" I said looking down at the table.

"But not just that…" she said, reaching towards me. "I think you're sweet and funny… and cute."

She thought **I** was cute? She should have a look in the mirror sometime!

"R-really?" I asked and my face turned bright red.

"Yeah…" she said, blushing a little herself.

Before we could say anything else, Chase came out of the kitchen with two bowls of mushroom rice, and two glasses of ice tea.

We ate in silence.

"Do you like Mushroom Rice?" I asked.

"Yes. I love it." Akari said smiling. "How about you?"

"Same here." I said happily. At least I wasn't forcing her too eat something she hated.

"Cool." Akari said, after taking a sip of ice tea.

Once we had finished, Chase came over and cleaned off the table. He gave me a teasing smile.

"Come on." she said as she grabbed my hand. "I wanna show you something."

She brought me to Cream Beach. She stopped and looked up at the full moon.

She kicked off her shoes and went and waded in the ocean. I kicked off my shoes and went to join her.

"The moon is beautiful tonight." I said looking up at the sky.

A warm breeze brushed my cheek. I took a deep breath, and sighed heavily.

"The moon reminds me of my hometown." she finally said. "I'm not sure why, but it does."

I thought about that for a moment and then said, "Probably because you know that your family there is looking at the same moon. Hard to believe everyone looks at the same moon. It makes us all feel equal."

She turned to me and smiled, "Your pretty deep for a kid."

I blushed. "Uh… Thanks…"

She grabbed my hand and said, "Come on. It's getting late. And I'm sure Luke has been pacing the floor for the past few hours."

"I wouldn't be surprised if there was a big hole in the floor." I teased.

She laughed. She had the sweetest laugh in the world.

We walked back to shore and put our shoes on.

We walked to my house in silence.

When we got there I said, "Good night."

She smiled, and then gave me a quick kiss.

"Good night!" she said.

Once she walked around the corner, I felt my knees grow weak. I fainted.

I lay there, still and silent. I probably would have been out there all night, if Luke hadn't poked his head out the door.

"What are you doing on the ground Romeo?! Get in the here!" he said as he grabbed me and pulled me in.

He threw me on my bed and jumped on his.

"Do you know what time it is hot-shot?!?!" Luke complained. "Midnight!"

"Way past your bed time!" he teased.

We laid there in silence.

"So…" he teased. "How was your date?"

"Incredible." was the only word I could manage out of my mouth.

"Cool. Akari looked pretty hot tonight huh?" Luke asked.

"Oh yeah!" I managed to say.

"Luke, I'm exasted. Can we talk about this tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure." Luke said.

Then we both went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7: The Accident

Chapter 7: The Accident

"Bo! Get your butt up!" Luke yelled as he shook me awake.

"I'm up! I'm up!" I yelled back with tired groan. "Dang Luke… What time is it?"

"Time for you to get up!" Luke teased. "Now get your lazy butt outta bed!"

"Your one to talk…" I mumbled as I got outta bed.

Luke didn't hear me though. He was already in the kitchen.

"Yo Daddy-O! What's for Breakfast?" Luke said as he slid into his chair.

"Scrambled Eggs." Dale said as he passed Luke a plate.

"Oh great! I love Scrambled Eggs!" I said as I came into the room.

"Does it have any cheese on it?" Luke asked with a disgusted face.

"No." Dale said. "Course Not."

The moment Dale confirmed that there was no cheese on Luke's Scrambled Eggs; Luke started tearing in.

After we finished eating, Dale said, "You boys go have fun today. You boys got more than enough wood yesterday! I have errands to run. So go do whatever boys do!"

I had forgotten that today was Saturday.

"Okay Pop! See ya later!" Luke said jumping out of his chair.

"Bye Dale." I said respectfully as I waved. I would have said something different, but Dale's not my dad, he's my teacher.

When Luke and I got outta the house, Luke put his hands behind his head.

"Nice day, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said smiling.

The weather was perfect! No clouds in the sky, not too hot or too cold. Just perfect!

I should of known better…

We saw someone running to our house. It was Owen.

When he got to us, he was outta breath.

"Co… Cra… Need…." he tried to say.

"Whoa buddy! Slow down!" Luke said. "Tell us what happened."

"There was… a cave in… Akari's still in there… need help…" Owen said, still outta breath.

Luke's smiling face turned serious and fearful. "Show us where she is!" he said in a panicked tone.

Owen nodded and ran over to the cave; we followed close behind.

The entrance was covered in big boulders.

"_No."_ I thought to myself as my eyes filled with tears.

As I thought that, one of the boulders that Owen's grandfather Ramsey had been hitting with a pickaxe fell.

The second it fell, Luke ran in. I ran in after him.

The cave was filled with poisonous gasses and dust.

"Akari!" Luke called.

"Akari!" I cried as I coughed.

We heard a faint cry.

"Heh…help…help me…" the voice said through multiple coughs.

"Akari!" Luke cried as he started running through the mine.

"L-Luke?" the voice asked.

"I'm coming Akari!" Luke said as he dodged falling rocks.

I wanted to follow him, but the dust and gases were too much for my small lungs.

"I got you Akari!" I heard Luke cry out. "Your safe now Akari!"

Luke had saved her.

My lungs couldn't take anymore; I tried to run towards the exit, but my knees gave out.

"Bo!… Bo!… Bo!…" I heard Luke cry out.

I fainted in the cave, unconscious.

"Bo!….."


	8. Chapter 8: Recovery

Chapter 8: Recovery

I woke up in the Clinic surrounded by blurry faces.

When my vision came clear, I began to recognize everyone.

Luke, Akari, and Dale were all crowded around me.

"Hey guys…" I finally said. "What's up?"

I looked around and suddenly I remembered everything that had happened the other day.

"What… what happened?" I asked as I scratched my head.

"You passed out from the poisonous gasses. Your tiny lungs were too weak to handle it. You went out cold. Luke had to carry both you and Akari outta there." Doctor Jin said from his desk. "Akari and Luke recovered quickly, but you on the other hand were facing serious medical conditions. You should have never gone in there in the first place!"

"I had to… I needed to help save Akari. Needed to help Luke." I said weakly.

Akari's eyes filled with tears. She looked away from me.

"How… How long was I asleep?" I asked.

"About a week, kiddo." Luke said as he messed up my hair.

A week… Anything could happen in a week.

My eyes grew heavy and I began to drift back to sleep.

"Let him rest a little while longer… Come back tomorrow and pick him up." I heard

Dr. Jin say. Everything else blurred out. I fell into a dreamless sleep.

I woke up to the smell of mushroom soup.

I got outta bed and freshened up a bit, then went into the kitchen to find Akari sitting over a pot of mushroom soup.

She smiled when she saw me.

"You feeling any better today Bo?" she asked as she ladled a bowl of soup for me.

"Yeah." I said, trying to not look her in the eye. I could tell she was hiding something.

"That's good." She said as she put the bowl down in front of me.

I quickly ate up the soup and looked around.

"Where's Dale and Luke?" I asked.

"Out getting lumber. I'm minding the shop today." She said as she gave me another bowl of soup.

I ate that one down quickly, too.

We sat there in silence.

Luke and Dale walked through the door as I finished off my sixth bowl of mushroom soup.

"Hey little buddy!" Luke said as he pounced on my back. "Whatcha been up to?"

"Sleeping, Eating, Fainting… You know… Nothing' special." I teased.

"Little smart aleck!" Luke said as he forced me into a headlock.

"Hey Luke! No roughing him up for a while." Dale yelled.

"Need anything else?" Akari asked politely.

"Nah. I think will be fine for today. Tanks again for all your help!" Dale said as he opened the cash register.

"Your welcome! And don't worry about paying me." Akari said as Dale pulled out a bag of coins from the cash register. "I was happy to help!"

She waved and then left.

"You up for a walk?" Luke asked me.

"Sure." I said, getting up from the table.

"Come on then." Luke said as he jumped up. "Sunset is in two hours!"

We walked to Cream Beach without a word to each other.

But lots of people came up to us and talked. Luke was a hero; they just came up to see if I was any better.

When we got to Cream Beach, we kicked off our shoes and waded in the water.

"Bo." Luke choked. "I have… I have something important to tell you."

I waited until he got his voice back.

I had a feeling that I wasn't going to like it.


	9. Chapter 9: Broken Heart

Chapter 9: Broken Heart

I stood there in my tiny white tux, still and quiet.

All the words seemed to be mumbled together.

This was the best day of Luke's life, and the worst of mine.

When I had been unconscious, Akari had fallen in love with Luke. He had risked his life to save hers.

Luke had fallen in love with her too. That's why Akari hadn't looked at Luke or me directly in the eye.

I stood there beside Luke, waiting for this horrible day to be over.

I felt a large lump in my throat when Mayor Hamilton said, "You may now kiss the bride."

I felt relieved and hardened at the same time.

I was relieved that the wedding was finally over.

And I felt my heart harden as Luke and Akari kissed; the first kiss of a long, long life together.

I nearly started crying, but I didn't. I bit my lip to hold back the tears.

As they walked down the alter, I felt like my heart was going with them.

I stood there as everyone made their leave.

I didn't move until Dale came and put his hand on my back and said, "Come on Bo. Let's go."

When we got back to the shop, I went in what was now my room and laid down on my bed.

I closed my eyes and felt the hot tears stream down my face.

I silently cried myself to sleep.

I woke up early the next morning.

I took my wrinkled tux off and put some fresh clothes on.

I went and washed up then went down stairs.

Dale wasn't up yet, so I decide to walk to the forest.

It was a cold winter morning. But I didn't care, I was too miserable to care.

I sat down under a tall pine tree and laid my head back against the trunk.

I felt an empty hole where my heart was supposed to be.

I would never love anyone again, I couldn't. I don't think my heart could take it.

I saw the sun begin to rise, and decided it was time to go back.

Dale looked worried when I came in.

"Are you okay, Bo? Did you get enough sleep?" he asked in a concerning voice.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I said with a sad smile.

Dale saw right through me. He sighed heavily.

"Luke was just like you when he was little." he finally said.

I was too miserable to try and make a joke.

"How does pancakes sound?" Dale asked as he began to get the ingredients out.

"I'm not hungry." I said sadly.

Dale got a concerned look on his face.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah. I think I'll just get to work." I said sadly.

I knew work would distract me.

My pain helped me work harder. I did what Luke and I would have normally done by myself.

Luke said that he was still going to work at the Carpentry, but he wanted a day or two off to spend with Akari.

"Bo!" Dale yelled. "Come inside! It's past sunset!"

I walked slowly to the carpentry.

When I got there, I went straight to my room.

I went and laid in my bed.

Dale came in to check on me.

But I was already asleep.


	10. Chapter 10: New Beginnings

Chapter 10: New Beginnings

Twenty Years Later…

A letter came in the mail for me from Luke.

It read:

_Dear Bo,_

_I know your still getting over my dad's death; I know I am. It's hard getting used to him not being there… Anyways, tomorrow's the Starry Night Festival, and I was wondering if you would like to come celebrate with my family and me._

_I'm sure Akari would love to see you! I know you have a lot of work, managing the Carpentry Shop. But I really hope that you can come and celebrate with Akari, Ariella and me._

_Your Buddy,_

Luke

"_It's been forever since I've seen Luke."_ I thought to myself. "_Maybe I will go."_

***

The next evening, I walked over to Luke and Akari's house.

"_I wonder what their daughter's like." _I thought to myself.

I had never met her. I hadn't really talked to Luke or Akari since the wedding.

When I knocked on the door, a young girl with auburn hair and brown eyes, who looked about twenty opened the door.

She blushed bright red.

"Oh! Hello Bo! Please Come in!" Akari said as she came to the door. "Luke will be back soon. He went into town to get some groceries."

Akari was as gorgeous as she was the day Luke and I met her.

She was wearing a pearl blue, long sleeved shirt, a long black shirt, and black high heels.

The young girl just sat there, staring at me with her mouth wide open.

"Oh! Ariella. This is Bo." Akari said to her daughter.

Ariella was even more beautiful than her mother.

She was wearing a knee high, long sleeve, pearl pink dress. And she was wearing a silver locket around her neck.

She blushed bright red again. She obviously was not use to men staring at her.

"Hey I'm ba-" Luke said as he walked through the front door.

The moment he saw me he dropped the grocery bags and cried, "Bo!"

He pounced me and caught me in a headlock.

But I broke free this time. I'm stronger than I was then.

I laughed. "Even in your old age, your still strong!" I joked.

It was the first joke I had made in a long time.

"Wow Bo!" Luke said as he looked at me. "You've grown!"

"Did you expect me not to?" I teased.

Luke laughed.

"Maybe." he teased.

We all laughed for a while, even Ariella.

"Okay you two jokesters!" Akari finally said. "Let's cut back on the jokes until we get dinner on the table."

I nodded and began to help Luke put the groceries away.

Ariella quietly helped Akari make dinner.

Luke had a puzzled look on his face.

"What's wrong?" I finally asked him.

"Ariella usually isn't this quiet… She's usually more active and hot-blooded." He answered.

"Like you use to be?" I teased.

"I'm no different now than I was twenty years ago!" Luke said back. "I may be a little slower, but I'm still the same old Luke!"

I laughed.

"Dinner's ready!" Akari said.

"Race ya!" Luke said, even though the table was less than ten feet away.

Luke won, but only because I went easy on him.

Luke sat at the top of the table, Akari sat on the left side, I sat on the right, and Ariella sat at the bottom.

We ate Boiled Spinach, Shining Sashimi, and Mushroom Rice.

We talked so much; I thought my mouth was going to fall off!

For desert, we had Chocolate Cake.

After we finished eating, we all sat on the couch and talked some more.

"Oh my!" Akari cried. "It's already 3:30 in the morning!"

I stretched and then said, "I need to be going anyways."

I got my coat and then prepared to leave.

"I had a great time! Thanks for dinner! It was delicious!" I said as I opened the door.

Ariella put her arm in the door before I could close it.

"Please…" she said. "Promise that you'll come back soon."

"I promise." I said as I put my hand over my heart.

She smiled and then closed the door behind me.

I heard Akari say, "What was that about Ariella?"

"Oh… Nothing." Ariella said back. "I'm gonna go to bed."

I heard her walk off and close a door.

"I think Ariella has a crush on Bo!" Akari said in an exited voice.

Luke laughed and then said, "Good! It'll do them both some good!"

I shook my head and laughed.

Here we go again.


End file.
